President Barack Obama announced Thursday he will nominate a University of Wisconsin professor to the National Board for Education Sciences at the United States Department of Education.

After Senate confirmation, Obama will nominate Adam Gamoran, director of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at UW as well as a professor of sociology and educational policy studies.

“I am grateful that these impressive individuals have chosen to join my administration at this important time for our nation,” Obama said in a statement. “I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”

Kerry Hill, spokesperson for the UW School of Education, said Gamoran was chosen because of his high credentials and reputation in the educational field. Gamoran has a solid background in the type of research in which the Board of Education Sciences engages.

“He is very well researched and very knowledgeable in the fields of educational research,” Hill said. “He’s … serving as director of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, which is here at UW, and that is the largest and oldest educational research center in the country.”

Hill added he believes Gamoran’s nomination will reflect favorably on UW’s reputation in the educational research field.

“I think it certainly adds prestige,” Hill said. “I think it recognizes that the University of Wisconsin School of Education has a lot of expertise and is a leader in this field.”

NBES consists of 15 voting members appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The board advises the director of the Institute of Education Sciences, as well as engages in education policy research, according to a White House statement.

Dean of the School of Education Julie Underwood said in a statement that Gamoran is one of the nation’s leaders in education research.

“I am delighted that the Obama administration has recognized him with an appointment to this important position, and that Adam is willing to serve during such exciting times in education,” Underwood said in the statement.

Hill said he does not know of any other UW professor that has ever been nominated to the Board for Education Sciences.